Tech demand fuels larger economic payoff: report

Provider demand for computer-software applications and data is having an additional payoff: it's helping to revive the nation's employment numbers. Online help-wanted advertising for computer-related positions climbed by 2.1% in February, according to the Conference Board. In fact, vacancies outnumbered job seekers by a 3-to-1 ratio last month, the group noted. “This feels like the beginning of another tech-driven jobs boom,” said Michael Mandel, chief economic strategist at the Progressive Policy Institute.